serious hardships and possible risks. But he cheerfully stuck to his offer, and the effective special training which the regimental authorities of his distinguished corps had subsequently provided, qualified him also to help me in the development of photographic negatives, drawing of plans, and similar technical tasks.
A day or two after I was joined by Rai Sahib Ram Singh, the skilful native Surveyor who had accompanied me on my former journey. The Survey of India Department, now under the direction of Colonel F. B. Longe, R.E., willing as ever to assist me in the execution of my geographical tasks, had readily agreed to depute him with me and to bear all costs arising from his employment. Since we parted in 19o1 the Rai Sahib had had the good fortune to add extensively to his survey experiences in Central Asia by accompanying Captain Rawling and Major Ryder on their successful expeditions in Tibet. I was heartily glad that there came again with him honest Jasvant Singh, the wiry little Rajput who had acted as his cook on my first Turkestan journey. Never have I seen an Indian follower so reliable in character, so gentlemanly in manners and bearing, and so cheerful under hardships and trying conditions of all sorts.
I had every reason to regret from the start that his high caste as a Mian Rajput of the bluest blood precluded his giving to myself the benefit of his ministrations. For the Indian Muhammadan whom I had managed, not without difficulty, to engage at Peshawar as my cook for the journey, soon proved to be a failure professionally as well as incapable of facing prolonged hard travel, even when fortified by clandestine drink and doses of opium. I had been obliged to have recourse to this worthy, since young Aziz, the Ladaki whom a friendly missionary had sent down from Leh in the autumn in response to my request for a cook with experience in rough travel, had displayed sad ignorance of European cookery and rooted inability to acquire its rudiments even when professional teaching was provided to fit him for my requirements, modest as they were. But otherwise he was willing, trained by former employment to look after ponies, and in any case a
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